10 highest-paid coaches in Nevada history

Steve Alford has signed a 10-year contract to be the Nevada Wolf Pack's 19th head coach. Alford will earn a base salary of $300,000 per year, plus an additional $100,000 if he fulfills media and public appearance fees — as well as bonuses for winning Mountain West conference championships, NCAA Tournament games and postseason coaching honors.

Alford earned around $2.6 million during his tenure at UCLA, but his base pay with the Wolf Pack doesn't crack the top 10 for coaching salaries for the state of Nevada. Here's the all-time list.

Lon Kruger topped out at $1.1 million per season as UNLV's head coach.

Lon Kruger topped out at $1.1 million per season as UNLV's head coach.

1 (tie). Lon Kruger, UNLV basketball, $1.1 million

Kruger, who also coached the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, is the only man to lead four schools to the Sweet 16, doing so at UNLV in 2007. He was 161-71 in seven seasons at UNLV, with four NCAA Tournament appearances and two NITs (he left a strong roster that reached the NCAAs the two years following his departure). Kruger was eventually lured away by Oklahoma's big bucks, a move that didn't have UNLV fans heartbroken. Many fans thought he maxed out with the Rebels, but he led the Sooners to the Final Four in 2016. With bonuses, Kruger earned $1.19 million in 2009.

1 (tie). T.J. Otzelberger, UNLV basketball, $1.1 million

Otzelberger, who nearly coached South Dakota State to an upset win at Nevada back in December, became the head coach at UNLV in late March. He replaced Marvin Menzies, who was fired two weeks earlier after a disappointing 17-14 finish in 2018-19. Oetzleberger is tasked with returning UNLV to basketball prominence after a six-year absence from the NCAA Tournament. Otzelberger's contract starts out at $1.1 million next season, but has automatic $100,000 raises every season. UNLV denied rumors that boosters will contribute to Otzelberger's salary.

3. Eric Musselman, Nevada basketball, $1 million

After two seasons at the cut-rate price of $400,000 per season, Musselman cashed in with a deal that paid him $1 million annually; the contract would have run through the 2021-22 season. Musselman led Nevada to 24, 28 and 29 wins in his three years as Nevada's head coach, capturing an NIT Tournament championship, two NCAA Tournament berths and a Sweet 16 appearance. Musselman's deal with Arkansas pays him $2.5 million annually for five years.

4. Rollie Massimino, UNLV basketball, $886,000

The most controversial contract in the state's history paid Massimino $886,000 annually — only few people knew that. His approved contract paid $511,000 per year, but he received another $375,000 unknown to the Regents. He was forced out after two seasons, the contract being used as the scapegoat following a 15-13 season and plummeting attendance. Massimino, who won a national title at Villanova but couldn't fill Tarkanain's shoes after replacing the legend, got a $1.8 million settlement to go away at UNLV. This contract was a complete disaster.

5 (tie). Marvin Menzies, UNLV basketball, $700,000

Following 10 years as head coach at New Mexico State, where he coached the Aggies to a 198-111 record and five NCAA appearances, Menzies was hired at UNLV. He made $700,000 guaranteed in each of his first three seasons with the Rebels, and would have made $800,000 in the next two seasons. He was fired in March.

5 (tie). Dave Rice, UNLV basketball, $700,000

Kruger's successor, Rice, actually posted a good record. He was 98-54 at UNLV, a .645 winning percentage, with two NCAA Tournament appearances and three 20-win campaigns in four full seasons. But his teams always seemed to underachieve in the Mountain West, where Rice was 37-32. He was fired three games into conference play last season and got a $900,000 buyout.

5 (tie). Bobby Hauck, UNLV football, $904,000

The first football coach on the list, you probably didn't finger Hauck as the highest-paid gridiron coach in Nevada's history with Chris Ault and John Robinson having led teams. But Hauck somehow got a $700,000 per year deal after posting a 13-38 record over his first four seasons at UNLV. He was rewarded with that nice extension after his lone bowl appearance before going 2-11 in 2014, a season that got him fired. Hauck (15-49) had just two wins in four of his five seasons.

Jerry Tarkanian bites on his trademark towel in this file photo.

Jerry Tarkanian bites on his trademark towel in this file photo.

AP file

8 (tie). Jerry Tarkanian, UNLV basketball, $600,000

The best coach in Nevada's history maxed out at $600,000, but that was a lot of money in the 1980s. Tarkanian was forced out at UNLV in 1992 amid pressure from NCAA investigators. He went 509-105 in 19 seasons with the Rebels and put UNLV on the national map (he also raised expectations to a level that haven't been matched decades later). Tarkanian's teams made 12 NCAA tournaments, including four Final Fours and one national title (in 1990). He was hired by the NBA's Spurs after his run at UNLV but lasted just 20 games before getting a $1.3 million settlement.

8 (tie). Bill Bayno, UNLV basketball, $600,000

Bayno was UNLV's fourth coach in five seasons when hired in 1995 at age 32. Bayno was 94-64 in five-plus seasons with two NCAA Tournament appearances and UNLV's lone MW regular-season title. On the court, he did well. Off the court, UNLV was entangled in an NCAA investigation based on the recruitment of Lamar Odom, which resulted in Bayno's pink slip seven games into the 2000-01 season. The NCAA cleared Bayno of wrongdoing; UNLV gave him a $400,000 settlement.

10. Brian Polian, Nevada football, $706,000

Polian held the record for highest-paid coach in Wolf Pack history, taking in a guaranteed salary of $585,000 in 2016, before the Musselman extension. Polian compiled a 23-27 record in four seasons, including back-to-back bowl appearances in 2014 and 2015, before being fired after going 5-7 in 2016. He was replaced with Jay Norvell, whose guaranteed salary started at $450,000 in 2017.